UT Extension Union County will be offering a series of gardening workshops in August and September on Wednesday mornings in Maynardville.
Topics will include planning, soils, mulch, water efficiency, fertilizers, pests, reducing waste, pollinators, reducing pollutants and wildlife. The curriculum will come from the Tennessee Yard Smart program.
We will also have classroom instructions and hands-on demonstrations. Three days we will have demonstrations of proper use of mulch, building a rain barrel, and building and using a composter. The fee for the whole series is $20 per person, which includes a curriculum, binder, snacks, and drinks.
The class location will be at St. Teresa’s Catholic Church in Maynardville. St. Teresa’s Church has a community garden used to supply the Fresh Wagon Food distribution with fresh produce. The youth of the church planted and maintained the garden all summer.
Class time is from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on August 17, 24, and 31. In September, dates are 14 and 21. September 28 will be a backup date if necessary due to illness or inclement weather from the previous dates.
Hands-on demonstration days will start with how to apply mulch. In the following weeks, we will make a composter and a rain barrel. If participants want to make their own composter and/or rain barrel to take home, there is an optional $20 fee for each. For the rain barrel demonstration day, we will make one in class. Then, participants may choose to add on a kit to make their own barrel at home. The kit will include a brass spigot, tape, and rental of drill bits and saws to make the inlet and overflow holes for $20. These add-ons are not due until the week before those classes. The agenda follows and is subject to change slightly as needed for efficiency.
Agenda
August 17: Introductions with Plant Selection, Water Efficiency, and Fertilize Appropriately
August 24: Manage Soil & Mulch with Mulch Demonstration and Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
August 31: Provide for Wildlife and Manage Pests
September 14: Composter Demonstration and Reduce Stormwater Runoff & Pollutants
September 21: Rain Barrel Demonstration and Protecting Water’s Edge
September 28: Please hold as an alternative date
To register for the class, go to tiny.utk.edu/garden22. For questions, please call (865) 992-8038